More and more highly talented professionals are moving into the professional gig economy and embracing the idea of a “portfolio career” rather than a singular job. 

The transition to a portfolio career, where experienced professionals are working across a number of organisations delivering outcome-based projects and services, allows many to work in a way that helps them to be at their best and deliver career defining work. 

For leaders, this creates a whole new talent pool to tap into. This is a talent pool that is accessed to deliver specialist work and critical projects, allowing leaders to flex their team around the varying capabilities and capacity they need. Leaders are discovering a growing number of scenarios where these on-demand professionals, or on-demand talent, are the perfect solution.

But not all on-demand talent is created equal. 

Some come from a big consulting background, having worked as management consultants throughout their career. Other on-demand talent have built their career working inside organisations as an employee. And, of course, some on demand talent have had experience both working as a management consultant and an employee.

Both ex-consultants and ex-employees bring strengths. Those from a management consulting background will likely have had exposure to a greater number of organisations, will be versed in robust methodologies and will have extensive experience navigating the provider/client relationship. For those ‘corporate escapees’ who have strong inhouse experience, they are deeply in touch with the realities of an organisation, are able to deliver bespoke, pragmatic  solutions and are accustomed to working as a part of an internal system and team.

In this article we will dig deeper into the strengths of on-demand talent who join the professional gig economy from the traditional employment model.

Organisational agility

Professionals who’ve spent years within organisations understand how businesses truly function day-to-day. With experience in varied company cultures and structures, they know how things really  “get done” and how to work around and within organisational nuances. They can navigate informal networks, adapt to leadership dynamics, and understand the cultural and political landscape. This can make it easy for them to build relationships, integrate into new environments and deliver results within various organisational constraints.

Pragmatic solutions

On-demand talent from inhouse backgrounds knows that no single approach fits every situation. As they haven’t previously worked with firm-specific methodologies (of which have a time and place!), these corporate escapees bring a flexible, problem-solving mindset. They focus on customised, pragmatic approaches that address the specific organisational challenges. They adapt quickly to define practical, impactful solutions that work within the unique operational context. 

Understanding longevity

Having worked as employees, these on-demand talent bring a long-term outlook to their on-demand projects and services. They’ve seen first-hand how strategies and initiatives play out over time, giving them the ability to create solutions that not only address immediate needs but also deliver a sustainable, positive impact. While the project or service may be delivered over a short time horizon, on-demand talent care deeply about delivering outcomes that contribute to the organisation’s broader goals.

By tapping into experienced on-demand talent, leaders are gaining more than just temporary support—they are adding skilled partners who bring both expertise, empathy, and experience to their team. . 

To explore how Werkling can connect you with trusted, affordable and experienced talent for your current priorities, visit our website or reach out directly at hello@werkling.com.